Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Osro the Lackey and Fourth Prince Xue Beng
After Nan Feihuang and Yu Tianheng's battle concluded, most of the spectators left satisfied, having enjoyed an impressive duel. Even those who had bet on Yu Tianheng and lost money, only losing a few hundred or thousand gold soul coins, didn't seem to mind much. For these noble children, such an amount was hardly significant—nothing like Osro, who had lost a staggering 1.44 million.
Interestingly, Nan Feihuang had unexpectedly become Osro's largest creditor.
Xue Ke and Xue Qinghe had participated in the betting solely to support Nan Feihuang. Therefore, though they had won, they only took back their principal amount. All the profits were transferred under Nan Feihuang's name.
As for Ye Lingling, she had maintained her principle of not accepting rewards for doing nothing. Although Xun Yu had initially planned to donate the profits to the academy in her name, she requested that the donation be made under Nan Feihuang's name instead. After all, she understood that Xun Yu and Nan Feihuang were allies—this seemed like a fair exchange.
Of course, Osro currently didn't have nearly enough to repay such a large sum.
Despite her need for money, Ye Lingling's integrity was clear. She would rather rely on her Nine-Hearted Begonia to heal and earn a modest income, like a doctor, than take someone else's money freely. Her righteous attitude earned Xun Yu's further admiration.
Initially, Xun Yu had been attracted to Ye Lingling's beauty and the fact that she was the first to pronounce his name correctly. But now, her integrity and refusal to be swayed by material wealth deepened his respect.
In the end, the full sum of 1.44 million gold soul coins landed under Nan Feihuang's name.
And so, Osro became Nan Feihuang's lackey. With no ability to repay the debt, he could only work it off.
Though Yu Tianheng and the others felt some sympathy for Osro, none of them suggested that Nan Feihuang should forgive the debt. After all, a bet was a bet, and Osro had set up the wager himself—he should clean up his own mess.
However, Nan Feihuang didn't make things too difficult for him. He offered Osro a job as his subordinate, paying him an extraordinarily high monthly salary of 10,000 gold soul coins. For context, a single-ringed spirit master's monthly stipend was only one gold soul coin. At that rate, Osro could repay his debt in 144 months—about twelve years. Of course, if he managed to repay the sum sooner, he could leave the job earlier.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Osro practically worshiped Nan Feihuang. Even his father, upon learning of the situation, supported it. After all, their family's highest title was only a viscount—one of the lowest-ranking nobility. Aligning themselves with the Gulei Kingdom's royal family and the Ice Douluo was a rare and golden opportunity.
"Feihuang, young master, your senior has brought breakfast!" Osro opened the door, carrying sandwiches and milk. He played the role of a lackey perfectly—sleeping later than his master and waking earlier.
"Thank you, senior," Nan Feihuang said as he took the food and ate a few bites. "So, senior, from today, I'll start training with you and the others. What's the usual routine? Running laps or sparring at the Douluo Arena?"
After all, Qin Ming had come from Shrek Academy, so Nan Feihuang instinctively thought of the grueling training methods from there. He was a little worried.
It wasn't the running that bothered him—it was the type of training. There's a big difference between running as part of a comprehensive training regimen and only running laps as a method of training.
"Hey, how did you know about our old training methods, young master? When Qin Ming first became our teacher, we did indeed run laps during the day and go to the Douluo Arena at night to practice," Osro said in surprise.
Nan Feihuang sighed. "Just as I thought."
Seeing his concern, Osro laughed. "Heh, young master, don't be so disappointed! That was just how Qin Ming started. Over the years, he's spent a lot of time studying in the library and has developed new teaching methods. He may not be a Title Douluo like your mother, but he's still a good teacher and will be helpful to you."
If Qin Ming had stuck to only running laps, he wouldn't have earned the respect and admiration of the noble youths in the Huangdou Battle Team.
Nan Feihuang's interest was piqued. After finishing his breakfast and calling Xun Yu, the three headed to the arena.
There wasn't theory class every day. After all, for spirit masters, combat training was paramount. Today, the entire day was dedicated to practical lessons.
As Nan Feihuang walked through the academy, he noticed many noble students casting glances his way. His performance during the previous day's fight had won over a lot of people—but it had also drawn envy and resentment.
After all, how could these students feel comfortable with someone who had only just arrived, yet was already so arrogant, becoming the top of the Tianzhi class and drawing the attention of so many female students?
One person, in particular, was especially displeased—Xue Beng, the academy's most notorious wastrel and, more importantly, the fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Though much of his debauchery was an act to protect himself, the fact that he could perform it so convincingly suggested that his true nature wasn't far off.
"Fourth Prince, look at that guy! Strutting around after just a few days at the academy like he owns the place. He's just a little prince from a small kingdom—how could he possibly compare to you, a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?" one of Xue Beng's lackeys said, his tone dripping with sycophancy.
"Tch, why don't you go teach him a lesson for me? Or maybe hire one of the Tian Dou class students to handle it?" Xue Beng sneered, feigning recklessness.
"Uh… this…" The lackey hesitated. He hadn't expected his master to be so blunt. Didn't Xue Beng realize he was just trying to flatter him?
Insulting Nan Feihuang behind his back was one thing. But to actually provoke him? The lackey didn't have the guts. And there was no way any student from the Tian Dou class would take that kind of job. It wasn't a matter of whether they could win or not—they had to consider the forces behind Nan Feihuang.
Close at hand, Nan Feihuang was closely connected to the crown prince, Xue Qinghe, who clearly acknowledged him as a future brother-in-law. Further away, anyone who dared cross him might find their entire house frozen by the Ice Douluo's spear.
Seeing his lackey hesitate, Xue Beng shot him a contemptuous look. "What are you afraid of? You don't have the guts?"
The lackey was left speechless. He wanted to tell Xue Beng that he was absolutely right—he was terrified. After all, this was the Ice Douluo's son. Even Xue Beng's father, Emperor Xue Ye, treated her with utmost respect. If he offended her, wouldn't that be his end?
No one noticed the fleeting darkness in Xue Beng's gaze. While he played the part of a fool, his mind churned with schemes. Yesterday's battle between Nan Feihuang and Yu Tianheng had been nothing short of extraordinary, and his uncle, Prince Xue Xing, had already told him that such a monstrous talent must not be allowed to fall into Xue Qinghe's hands.
Otherwise, Xue Beng's chance of becoming the crown prince would only grow more distant.
Xue Beng wasn't content to live out his days as a wastrel prince, protecting his life through a façade of indulgence. He had ambitions, ambitions that extended far beyond what others saw.
But while no one noticed Xue Beng's calculating glance, Xun Yu, with a knowing smile, happened to catch it from across the way.
"So that's the infamous Fourth Prince, Xue Beng?" Xun Yu mused. "If what my lord said is true, then this act of his conceals a much grander ambition. With Prince Xue Xing backing him, what strategies will he employ to challenge my lord?"
Xun Yu's eyes gleamed. "My lord has little interest in dealing with such small players. But if I have some free time, I might as well play this game with you, Xue Beng."
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